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Comment by bmj | Hacker News Reader

I cannot deal when a backpack when the temperature is above 65 degrees Fahrenheit, for the very reason Arnade gives -- a sweaty back. I've been using a Nittany Mountain Works fanny pack on bike rides recently (the larger model will carry A5 notebooks, which is plenty big for my non-work commuting since I'm remote full time now). I guess I will still deal with a sweaty lower back, but that's better than my entire back.

That said, I agree with you -- I could imagine walking (or riding) with stuff in my pockets.

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Getting a good hiking pack designed to sit off of your back a bit was a godsend to me. I'm with you that I won't carry one if it's hot out, but I'll gladly carry a smaller pack all the time otherwise.

Fanny packs are sweet, except the part where you're wearing a fanny pack.

Fanny packs are sweet, except the part where you're wearing a fanny pack.

Yes, my teenagers were shocked and appalled when they saw it, and made me promise I would only wear it while on the bike.

Are you not obligated to wear it _more_ due to your teenagers being appalled...?

Spin it around so it's not on your fanny (or is, pending what side of the pond you are on) and it will be less offensive to bigots.

Sorry, no it won't. Then it's just a crotch pack, or a worse name. -bigot But I applaud your effort!

> Fanny packs are sweet, except the part where you're wearing a fanny pack.

Hear me out:

Sport coats. (edit: and blazers)

Very light linen ones for hot days, which keep sun off your skin without really making you hotter. Cooler days, break out the wool.

All those extra pockets are wonderful. Grab some thin old mass-market genre paperbacks and discover why they made them that size :-)

They're like purses for men, that you can wear instead of carry, and that make you look better. Similar storage capacity to a fanny pack, I'd say. Maybe a little more.

I’m so tempted to try this. I never wear a sport coat. Well, unless I’m in a suit, which is a couple times a year if I’m unlucky.

I wear a short sleeve polyester t-shirt in black. I own a dozen of them, all identical, and wear them most days. My wife hates it.

The black is not good on very hot days. It’s surprising how much difference a light color makes. But, I can’t seem to keep light stuff clean.

I don’t know if I could stand my arms in a sport coat, but I guess it’s no different from a regular jacket in the winter.

You could grab one or two from a thrift store and see how you like it, then upgrade if it seems like something you want to keep doing. Nice and cheap way to try it out. Difficulty: a nice light linen jacket's probably gonna be a little hard to find at a thrift store, so it may be best to start this attempt in the Fall.

In my experience, when you go on very long (10-20mi) walks in hot weather, you need a backpack even more, since you have to carry around large amounts of water (either in water bottles or in one of those hydration pack things).

Biking is different, of course--you're not outside for as long (at least for a given number of miles), and you can store your water bottles on the bike itself.

Hydration bags tend to be slightly less problematic as many incorporate some amount of airflow-management and moisture-wicking, and the water itself tends to be somewhat cooler, at least initially.

Sir/madam, have you ever tried an Osprey that suspends the weight of the bag off of your back with a sturdy piece of mesh and very minimal metal internal frame?[1] (I think Osprey pioneered this, other manufacturers now have it too). It has been life changing for me. I use it daily for commuting, and just finished 3-week tour through 3 countries with laptop, Kindle, and everything else packed inside this one bag. I’m sure Osprey has smaller versions if 34L is too much.

[1] https://www.osprey.com/us/en/product/tropos-TROPOSF19.html

The metal frame must be the key. I have an Osprey backpack without it, and the mesh alone does almost nothing to help with sweat, even though it was sold to me as being better. A friend in high school found an old Vietnam-era? US army rucksack with a metal frame that was less comfortable in the short term but not bad in the long, sweaty term.

Cross body bags are a nice midpoint between a backpack size and a fanny pack size and they don't sit on your back causing sweat - I got an adidas one for like $30 and I can easily fit a 32oz water bottle a folded light jacket plus other small things.

That's the cocaine dealer uniform where I live.

I fixed that by using a small gym sack for longer (mostly urban) walks and hikes. There are some with rather thick ropes, and they are quite comfy if you don't pack them too heavyweight. Also lets your back breathe due to the smaller area covered, and the ropes are narrow enough to not leave a sweatmark (as opposed to straps).

May be a drawstring shoe bag could work, but usually they have lesser carrying capacity than a full backpack.

I can't stand sweaty back either. Each of my bikes has some sort of rack or basket.

With that said, the college kids tend to prefer a backpack because it's their mobile office, and they don't want anything on their bike that can get stolen.

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